diff --git a/changelog.d/3965.misc b/changelog.d/3965.misc
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e7e4a9c5a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/3965.misc
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Run notify_app_services as a bg process
diff --git a/synapse/notifier.py b/synapse/notifier.py
index f1d92c139..340b16ce2 100644
--- a/synapse/notifier.py
+++ b/synapse/notifier.py
@@ -24,9 +24,10 @@ from synapse.api.constants import EventTypes, Membership
 from synapse.api.errors import AuthError
 from synapse.handlers.presence import format_user_presence_state
 from synapse.metrics import LaterGauge
+from synapse.metrics.background_process_metrics import run_as_background_process
 from synapse.types import StreamToken
 from synapse.util.async_helpers import ObservableDeferred, timeout_deferred
-from synapse.util.logcontext import PreserveLoggingContext, run_in_background
+from synapse.util.logcontext import PreserveLoggingContext
 from synapse.util.logutils import log_function
 from synapse.util.metrics import Measure
 from synapse.visibility import filter_events_for_client
@@ -248,7 +249,10 @@ class Notifier(object):
     def _on_new_room_event(self, event, room_stream_id, extra_users=[]):
         """Notify any user streams that are interested in this room event"""
         # poke any interested application service.
-        run_in_background(self._notify_app_services, room_stream_id)
+        run_as_background_process(
+            "notify_app_services",
+            self._notify_app_services, room_stream_id,
+        )
 
         if self.federation_sender:
             self.federation_sender.notify_new_events(room_stream_id)